New Insights into the Origins and Motivations for Ritual Tooth Removal in Ancient Taiwan

Archaeologist Yue Zhang and her team recently published a study in Archaeological Research in Asia detailing the practice of tooth ablation in Taiwan from the Neolithic to the modern era. Tooth ablation, the deliberate removal of healthy upper front teeth like incisors (I) and canines (C), was linked to the earliest Austronesian (AN) communities who spread across the Asia-Pacific region. Despite prior knowledge gaps, this study provides a comprehensive overview of the practice's origins, development, and cultural context.

First seen in Taiwan around 4800 BP during the Neolithic (4800–2400 BP), tooth ablation coincided with the shift from hunter-gatherer to sedentary societies that introduced pottery, domesticated plants and animals, and tooth ablation. Common patterns like 2I2C1 and 2I2, involving bilateral upper tooth removal, were equally present in both sexes. The practice spread from the coast and intersected with burial and agricultural advancements in surrounding regions. Zhang noted that the 2I2C1 ablation pattern among early Austronesians in Taiwan mirrors those in related cultures across Island Southeast Asia.

However, a trend emerged during the late Neolithic, leading men to practice ablation less frequently. By 1900 BP, in the Iron Age, ablation became mostly female. Zhang suggests this shift reflects broader cultural changes and local adaptations of Neolithic practices. Ethnographic accounts from Chinese records, 17th-century Dutch journals, and surveys during Japanese rule (1901–1909) provide additional context. Despite armed suppression in the 1910s, tooth ablation persisted in some communities until the mid-20th century.

Reasons for tooth ablation were diverse: aesthetic preferences to avoid animal-like dentition, tests of courage, memorializing bravery, rites of passage, group identification, and practical purposes like aiding medical treatments for conditions like lock-jaw. Local testimonies indicated beliefs that ablation could improve pronunciation, though scholars doubted this functional benefit, pointing out potential impacts on eating.

Methods and ages for performing tooth ablation varied regionally. Northern Taiwan preferred hammering out teeth, while southern regions favored pulling them with tools. Extracted tooth cavities were treated with salt or ash to prevent bleeding and infection. These procedures often involved children as young as 6 and adults up to 20, without anesthesia.

Modern ethnographic records suggest a less female-centric practice compared to the late Neolithic and Iron Age. Zhang concludes further research is needed, noting that current skeletal evidence is sparse and geographically limited. This calls for more samples to understand the origins and proliferation of tooth ablation among Austronesians. The gender practice differences between past and modern records offer intriguing areas for further study.

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